Common Merganser female

[Bill Dix]

D90; 80-400 VR @ 370mm. ISO 800. f/7.1 @ 1/4000s. Matrix metering @ -1.7 EV. HH.

This is the companion to the merganser drake I posted yesterday. Here, too, I could have traded a lower ISO for some SS. Comments and critique welcomed as always.

[Dan Fleming]

Hi Bill,

I like the sharpness and comp of this one. I think you got good detail and to my eye, not really a problem with noise. I am bothered a little by the blue reflection that crosses behind the head. I wonder if a gradient mask of blur would soften that some. Nice job.

Dan

[Arthur Morris]

Nicely designed image and a perfect head angle. It looks as if the ORIG was underexposed at -1.7 and that the noise was a result of lightening it. The image could have been made at ISO 200...

[Joe Senzatimore]

Love the detail in this. The bill is magnificent.

[Bill Dix]

Nicely designed image and a perfect head angle. It looks as if the ORIG was underexposed at -1.7 and that the noise was a result of lightening it. The image could have been made at ISO 200...

Thank you Artie. Despite the -1.7, I actually had to reduce the exp another 0.45 in RAW Capture to keep the whites from going off the end of the histogram, but then add some fill light to protect the blacks. I'm sure that didn't help the noise, which is evident despite 2 passes of NR on the background. I had been trying to capture the mergs in flight, thus the high ISO and SS; but should learn to cut it back when I don't need it for a swimming bird. 200 would have been just fine in this case. (Does it help that it was frigid out and I had a mitten on my left hand, which I would have had to remove in order to adjust the ISO? I suppose not.)

[Rich Steel]

Hi Bill

I assume these are the same as our goosander in the UK as they look the same. I was out photographing these yesterday and a diffiuclt bird to approach. I like the complimentary colours and the long crop suits the shape of the bird well. A good long angle and eye contact with the bird. The bill looks very red to me but may be there is difference between UK and US birds?

Cheers

Rich

[Bill Dix]

Hi Bill

I assume these are the same as our goosander in the UK as they look the same. I was out photographing these yesterday and a diffiuclt bird to approach. I like the complimentary colours and the long crop suits the shape of the bird well. A good long angle and eye contact with the bird. The bill looks very red to me but may be there is difference between UK and US birds?

Cheers

Rich

Hi Rich. These do look much like your goosander; I assume they are the same. They are indeed usually very shy. I did boost the saturation on the head plumage slightly, but kept the bill as the camera saw it. Late afternoon sun may have accentuated it. Sometimes I need to desaturate bright reds but I didn't here; perhaps I should have.

[Stu Bowie]

I like the detail and colours on her head, and overall nice and sharp. Lovely water BG too.